Monthly Archives: January 2015

January 16, 2015-The Washington Performing Arts’ Children of the Gospel Choir perform “I Know I’m Going to Make It” at the Anacostia Community Museum 30th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Program at the Rasmuson Theater at the National Museum of the American Indian. Here, Norman Hudgins sings solo.Susana Raab/Anacostia Community Museum/Smithsonian Institution

The Anacostia Community Museum celebrated its 30th annual Martin Luther King program with inspiring performances and a keynote speech by the Center for Community Change’s Kica Matos. The theme for this year’s program was “The Beloved Community.” Ms. Matos spoke to how we can all become involved in creating change and respecting dialogue in our own communities and pointed to upcoming exhibits like “Twelve Years that Changed Washington” which will speak to the impact and strength of individual communities.

January 16, 2015 – Keynote speaker Kica Matos, Director of Immigrant Rigths and Racial Justice at the Center for Community Change at the 30th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Program of the Anacostia Community Museum.

January 16, 2015- A performance of “I Know Where I’ve Been” from the musical Hairspray with the Washington Performing Arts’ Children of the Gospel Choir and the Alfred Kiger Savoy Plaers in collaboration with the DC Youth Ensemble entertained the audience at the Anacostia Community Museum’s 30th annual Martin King Luther Jr. Program.Susana Raab/Anacostia Community Museum/Smithsonian InstitutionJanuary 16, 2015 – Smithsonian Undersecretary Claudine Brown moderated a question and answer session with keynote speaker Kica Matos, Director of Immigrant Rigths and Racial Justice at the Center for Community Change at the 30th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Program of the Anacostia Community Museum.Susana Raab/Anacostia Community Museum/Smithsonian InstitutionJanuary 16, 2015 – Smithsonian Undersecretary Claudine Brown moderated a question and answer session with keynote speaker Kica Matos, Director of Immigrant Rigths and Racial Justice at the Center for Community Change at the 30th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Program of the Anacostia Community Museum.Susana Raab/Anacostia Community Museum/Smithsonian InstitutionJanuary 16, 2015 – Keynote speaker Kica Matos, Director of Immigrant Rigths and Racial Justice at the Center for Community Change at the 30th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Program of the Anacostia Community Museum.

January 16, 2015 – Smithsonian Undersecretary for Education Claudine Brown poses for a photograph with keynote speaker Kica Matos, Director of Immigrant Rigths and Racial Justice at the Center for Community Change, and Anacostia Community Museum Director Camille Akeju before the start of the 30th annual Martin Luther King Jr. program.January 16, 2015Susana Raab/Anacostia Community Museum/Smithsonian InstitutionJanuary 16, 2015-The Washington Performing Arts’ Children of the Gospel Choir perform “I Know I’m Going to Make It” at the Anacostia Community Museum 30th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Program at the Rasmuson Theater at the National Museum of the American Indian. Here, Norman Hudgins sings solo.January 16, 2015- A performance of “I Know Where I’ve Been” from the musical Hairspray with the Washington Performing Arts’ Children of the Gospel Choir and the Alfred Kiger Savoy Plaers in collaboration with the DC Youth Ensemble entertained the audience at the Anacostia Community Museum’s 30th annual Martin King Luther Jr. Program.January 16, 2015 – The Alfred Kiger Savoy Players prepare for their performance at the Anacostia Community Museum’s 30th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Program backstage at the Rasmuson Theater at the National Museum of the American Indian.January 16, 2015- A performance of “I Know Where I’ve Been” from the musical Hairspray with the Washington Performing Arts’ Children of the Gospel Choir and the Alfred Kiger Savoy Plaers in collaboration with the DC Youth Ensemble entertained the audience at the Anacostia Community Museum’s 30th annual Martin King Luther Jr. Program.January 16, 2015-Director Camille Akeju makes opening remarks at the Anacostia Community Museum 30th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Program at the Rasmuson Theater at the National Museum of the American Indian. Here, Norman Hudgins sings solo.Susana Raab/Anacostia Community Museum/Smithsonian InstitutionJanuary 16, 2015-The Washington Performing Arts’ Children of the Gospel Choir sing “I Know Where I’ve Been” from the musical Hairspray at the Anacostia Community Museum 30th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Program at the Rasmuson Theater at the National Museum of the American Indian.Susana Raab/Anacostia Community Museum/Smithsonian Institution

January 16, 2015 – Wendy Perez and Ramiro Forty, winners of the 2014 DC After-School Latin Program perform before the Anacostia Community Museum’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Program.Susana Raab/Anacostia Community Museum/Smithsonian Institution

Happy Founders’ Day to Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated! The community-conscious, action-oriented organization was founded this day in 1920 by five collegiate women on the campus of Howard University in Washington, DC. It is one of nine historically African American Greek Lettered Organizations. Opera singer Madame Lillian Evanti was a member of the sorority and in this undated image by Paul Henderson in the Evans-Tibbs collection, she proudly performs for her Sisters.

Howard University Glee Club founder, Roy W. Tibbs was born in Hamilton, Ohio in 1888. Professor Tibbs was appointed head of the department of piano and organ at Howard University in 1912. He graduated from Fisk University and received both the bachelor and master degrees from Oberlin Conservatory. Professor Tibbs also traveled to Paris, France in 1914 to further his studies under the supervision of Isadore [Isidor] Philipp. Mr. Tibbs trained a multitude of African American music teachers during his tenure at Howard University and toured as a pianist, while serving as director of the men’s glee club.

Howard University Glee Club (Mr. Tibbs located in the front row, second from left), circa 1925. Evans-Tibbs Collection, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution, gift of the Estate of Thurlow E. Tibbs, Jr.

A review by The Harrisburg Telegram proclaimed, “The Glee Club of Howard University pronounced by the music world as second only to that of Harvard among the college glee clubs of the country, appeared last evening before a delighted audience that filled the Technical High School Auditorium to overflowing.” The reviewer further states, “Roy W. Tibbs, the conductor is unquestionably one of the ablest college glee club leaders that ever appeared in Harrisburg.”

Professor Tibbs married Lillian Evans, professionally known as Madame Evanti in 1918 and they had one son, Thurlow Tibbs. Mr. Roy W. Tibbs died on April 1, 1944 in Washington, DC. Records of the activities of the Howard University Glee Club forms part of the family papers and objects in the Evans-Tibbs collection at the Anacostia Community Museum Archives.

Roy W. Tibbs and Lillian Evans, circa 1918. This is the only photograph of the couple together in the collection. Evans-Tibbs Collection, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution, gift of the Estate of Thurlow E. Tibbs, Jr.

A shorter version of this post originally appeared on the Smithsonian Collections Search Center blog in 2012.

Spring 2015 Internships with the Anacostia Community Museum!

Below are the internship opportunities for the Research and Collections Departments. All internships are unpaid. Contact information for each supervisor is included in the description. Start and end dates are flexible. We are looking forward to working with you!

Transportation: Free round trip shuttle service to the Anacostia Community Museum can be provided from the National Mall or L’Enfant Plaza Metro Station Monday-Friday for all interns.

Museum Mission: The mission of the Anacostia Community Museum is to enhance understanding of contemporary urban experiences and strengthen community bonds by conserving the past, documenting the present, and serving as a catalyst for shaping the future. More information on the Museum: http://anacostia.si.edu

INTERNSHIP DESCRIPTIONS

Curatorial intern (Panama project)
Intern will work directly with Dr. Ariana Curtis, curator of Latino Studies and gain valuable, on-site experience in curatorial processes and exhibition preparation. Intern will assist in planning public programming and creating tangible resources for upcoming exhibition Bridging the Americas: Community and Belonging from Panama to Washington, D.C. Familiarity with Panama preferred but not required. Research experience required. One position available. Contact: CurtisA@si.edu

Curatorial intern(s) Museum interactives (Latino Studies general)
Intern will work with the curatorial staff under the direction of Dr. Ariana Curtis, curator of Latino studies and gain valuable on site experience in curatorial processes and exhibition preparation. Intern will visit various museums in the immediate DC area to research and document multilingual and interactive exhibition elements in various exhibitions. This position is unpaid. Multiple positions available. Contact: CurtisA@si.edu

Research intern(s) Census and Latino Community Change
Interns will work directly with Dr. Ariana Curtis, curator of Latino Studies and gain valuable research experience on identification, representation, and government reporting. Intern(s) will assist in research with US census data, American Community Survey data, changing racial/ethnic categories over time, and the identification of Latino populations. Project entails reviewing old census forms and data, reading/synthesizing secondary source data, and following current debates about Latino racialization and racial identification. Previous experience using census data not required. Strong writing skills preferred. Multiple positions available. Contact: CurtisA@si.edu

Research intern(s) Neighborhood Change
Opportunity to work at the Smithsonian Institution, Anacostia Community Museum doing research on two topics related to neighborhood change in Washington, D.C.:
*How the building of the Suitland Parkway during the Second World II impacted the surrounding SE community
*The transformation of the African-American St. Philip’s Hill community in NW Washington, D.C. into the affluent mostly white University Terrace community in the 1950s and 60s
Research will include working with materials at the National Archives, the Washingtoniana Collection of the D.C. Public Library, and the Archives of the Anacostia Community Museum among others. Research will also include participating in the oral interviewing of individuals who might have information on the areas being studied and the transcription of these interviews. The research will be undertaken under the supervision of Mrs. Alcione M. Amos, Museum Curator. For questions please contact Alcione Amos amosal@si.edu

Archival Collections Processing intern(s)
Interns will gain focused experience in arrangement, description, and preservation of archival collections and knowledge of descriptive standards including DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard). The internship entails conducting research on collection subject and context, creating EAD formatted finding aids using Archivists Toolkit, and sharing information about processed collections through social media. Interns work under the guidance of the museum’s archivist. Strong writing and organizational skills preferred. This position is unpaid. Interested students may contact Jennifer Morris: morrisj@si.edu.

Cataloging intern(s)
Interns will assist with cataloging item level and series descriptions in the Horizon database system for the Smithsonian’s online database (www.siris.si.edu). The intern will conduct research on the archival items, create MARC-based records, and disseminate information about newly cataloged materials through social media. Interns work under the guidance of the museum’s archivist. The ideal candidate has working knowledge of MARC and DACS. Attention to detail and strong organizational skills preferred. Intern will gain insight into the application of MARC in an archival setting. This position is unpaid. For questions contact Jennifer Morris: morrisj@si.edu.

Transcription intern(s)
Interns will help make collections more accessible by digitizing documents for transcribing by the general public for the Smithsonian Transcription Center (https://transcription.si.edu/). Interns will also apply embedded metadata to digitized assets, write summaries utilizing collections, and review transcribed text. Attention to detail and strong writing skills preferred. This position is unpaid. For questions contact Jennifer Morris: morrisj@si.edu.

Object Collections Care and Cataloguing Support
In support of ACM’s goal of providing the highest quality housing for, description of and access to its permanent collection, this Internship will include general collections management projects including:
– rehousing of object collections prioritizing access, physical support and conservation-grade materials
– promoting intellectual access to collections through digitization as a component of the cycle of care
– facilitating discovery and access through lexicon and authority based cataloguing
– facilitating discovery and access by connecting collections for distribution to online databases
Under the direction of the Collections, we are currently organizing our permanent collection with the goal of delivering a complete catalogue with digital surrogates to collections.si.edu by the end of 2014. Projects within the Collections department would seek to expand the reach of these digital collections through description, research and topical cataloguing of museum collections.
Interns can also expect to receive training in the handling and care of collections in support of projects advancing the preservation priorities of the museum. Educational goals for this internship will focus on best practices in handling and care as well as innovative methods for online description and access. Internships will entail handling, processing and rehousing of coherent collections providing opportunities for demonstrating and documenting mastery. The ACM will provide guidance and access to necessary readings, resources and institutional expertise in support of these deliverables. This internship will provide an opportunity to become familiar with collections management processes and standards within a community museum. Contact: Josh Gorman at GormanJ@si.edu